Mini Apple Butter Pop Tarts (Vegan + GF)
Subtly sweet, a little toasty, and totally nostalgic are all perfect descriptors for fall and for these mini apple butter pop tarts! Whether you grew up eating pop tarts or not, these vegan and gluten-free treats are sure to steal your heart.
They’re buttery, flaky, cinnamon-infused, and everything you want in a fall treat. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to make and require just 9 ingredients. We hope you love them as much as we do! Let’s pop to it!
How to Make Gluten-Free Pop Tarts
The flaky gluten-free dough for these pop tarts relies on a combination of gluten-free flours for a balance of structure and tenderness: almond flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and arrowroot starch. Sea salt and cinnamon add flavor to the dough.
You can make the dough in a bowl using a pastry cutter or fork, but our preferred method uses a food processor. Not only is it easier, but it quickly breaks up the vegan butter while keeping it cold, which maximizes flakiness!
Next we add apple butter and maple syrup to the dough, which provides moisture and natural sweetness.
Then we roll out the dough and cut it into cute little squares. Starting to look like pop tarts, right!?
A dollop of apple butter goes between two squares of dough, and then we crimp and seal the edges with a fork.
A final “x” on the top allows steam to escape during baking and prevents cracking.
Pop them in the oven and get ready because gluten-free pop tarts are really happening, friends!
We hope you LOVE these apple butter pop tarts! They’re:
Flaky
Buttery
Perfectly sweet
Subtly spiced
Perfect for fall
& SO nostalgic!
Make a batch for a special weekend treat or enjoy all week long by reheating in a toaster oven. They would also make a delicious and decadent dessert topped with Creamy Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream.
More Apple Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 12 (mini pop tarts)
DOUGH
- 2/3 cup almond flour (we prefer Wellbee’s)
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour*
- 1/2 cup sorghum flour* (plus extra for rolling out)
- 1/2 cup arrowroot starch* (also called arrowroot flour)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, cold and cubed (we used Miyoko’s)
- 1/4 cup apple butter (or sub store-bought*)
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
FILLING
- 1/2 cup apple butter (or sub store-bought*)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional if apple butter is unsweetened)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional if apple butter has no cinnamon)
TOPPING optional
- Cane sugar (organic for vegan-friendly)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Also prep your “rolling” station by placing a piece of parchment or wax paper on a clean work surface and dusting it generously with sorghum flour.
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DOUGH: In a food processor (or mixing bowl) combine the almond flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse (or whisk) to thoroughly combine. Add the vegan butter and pulse (or use a pastry cutter or fork) to combine until crumbly.
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Add 1/4 cup (60 g) apple butter (adjust amount if altering the default number of servings) and maple syrup (starting with the lesser amount) and pulse until the mixture comes together into a moist dough ball and there are no obvious streaks of flour. If it seems too dry and isn’t holding together when pressed between your fingers, add the additional tablespoon of maple syrup.
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Working quickly, transfer the dough to your floured parchment or wax paper. Dust the top generously with more sorghum flour and press into a thick, even disk. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangle ~1/8-inch thick and about 10×15 inches, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
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Use a knife, pizza cutter, or small cookie cutter to cut the dough into 12 even squares (or circles).
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Transfer the dough (still on the parchment/wax paper) to a baking sheet and pop in the freezer for about 5-8 minutes. This will help it firm up and become easier to assemble. If using unsweetened/unspiced apple butter, combine it with the optional maple syrup and cinnamon and set nearby.
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Once firm, begin assembling! Using a spatula to pick up each piece, carefully place one rectangle of dough onto the prepared baking sheet and add ~1 tsp of apple butter to the center of the dough, leaving half an inch of dough on the outside. Then place another rectangle on top. Repeat this with the rest of the dough, then use your fingers or a fork to crimp and seal all the edges. Use a paring knife to cut a small X into the center of each pop tart (to prevent cracking) and sprinkle cane sugar on each pop tart (optional).
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Bake the pop tarts for 18-22 minutes until the edges are golden and the tops look soft and pale. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
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Let cool fully before storing leftover pop tarts lightly covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat in a 350 F (176 C) oven (or toaster oven) for best texture.
*The closest sub for sorghum flour would be oat flour, but we haven’t tested it in this recipe.
*We tested these with Tap’n Apple Apple Butter Spread and it worked perfectly! If using a store-bought apple butter that’s pre-sweetened with cane sugar, reduce initial bake time to 15 minutes as the pop tarts will bake more quickly.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of maple syrup and without optional ingredients.
Serving: 1 mini pop tart Calories: 186 Carbohydrates: 22.2 g Protein: 2.2 g Fat: 10.2 g Saturated Fat: 5.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 143 mg Potassium: 89 mg Fiber: 2.6 g Sugar: 6.4 g Vitamin A: 5 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 24 mg Iron: 0.5 mg
